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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
PROPOSED RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING APRIL 22, 2026 AS EARTH DAY FOR THE FOREST PRESERVES OF COOK COUNTY
WHEREAS, Earth Day was first established in 1970 as a way to recognize the environmental disasters faced by communities throughout the United States, including oil spills, power plants, toxic dumps, pesticides, the extinction of wildlife, and the loss of wilderness; and
WHEREAS, throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s, environmental awareness increased due to declining air and water quality, increased knowledge about Earth’s finite resources, and increasing popularity in environmental publications showcasing the consequences of environmental disasters; and
WHEREAS, Senator Gaylord Nelson, a junior Senator from Wisconsin, was concerned about the deteriorating environment in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Senator Nelson, together with a young activist named Denis Hayes, organized a series of teach-ins on April 22, 1970, on college campuses, which utilized economics, science, community organizing, ethics, and spirituality to promote environmental education; and
WHEREAS, the teach-ins inspired 20 million Americans at the time (about 10% of the population) to take to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to rally against the impacts of 150 years of industrial petroleum and electricity development, large-scale manufacturing of goods, and increased urbanization, which left a growing legacy of serious human health impacts such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases; and
WHEREAS, following the momentum of Earth Day on April 22, 1970, President Richard Nixon delivered a presentation on the environment, created the Council of Environmental Quality, and consequently sent Congress a plan to consolidate many environmental responsibilities of the federal government under the newly created Environmental Protection Agency, established on December 2, 1970; and
WHEREAS, in the following years, under guidance of the Environmental Protection Agency, Congress passed several landmark pieces of environmental legislation, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Education Act, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act; and
WHEREAS, these laws have protected millions of people from disease and death and have protected hundreds of species from extinction; and
WHEREAS, while legislative and societal progress has been successful, low-income communities and communities of color continue to bear the disproportionate impact of environmental harms, impacting health, safety, and opportunity; and
WHEREAS, communities of color have contributed greatly to the environmental movement, as activists have propelled forward environmental justice initiatives, including the creation of new sustainable agriculture techniques, fighting for clean air and water, and shaping our relationship with nature through shared tradition and culture; and
WHEREAS, today, Earth Day is widely recognized as the largest secular observance in the world, marked by more than a billion people every year as a day of action to change human behavior and create global, national, and local policy changes; and
WHEREAS, the Forest Preserves of Cook County hosts free programming on Earth Day and year-round to encourage the celebration and protection of nature, including the annual Trash Bash, Plant Appreciation Day, and seven upcoming Earth Day celebrations across the preserves, including a bike ride, tapestry making, litter clean up, restoration, and more.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Toni Preckwinkle, President of the Cook County Board, and the Board of Commissioners of the Forest Preserves of Cook County, recognizes Monday, April 22, 2026, as Earth Day and uses this opportunity to promote sustainability through conversation, action, and commitment in making our world a better place.
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